Our window of opportunity to remove Christian influence from wellbeing roles in public schools

By Rosemary Lynch

It is almost 20 years since the then Prime Minister John Howard unveiled funding for the National School Chaplaincy Program (NSCP) to “promote pastoral care and spiritual guidance for students”, with Christian contractors paid to employ Christians in public schools.

While the role has been essentially that of a secular pastoral carer/student wellbeing officer – with religious activities and proselytising banned – the program has, for much of that time, required, without any justification, those people who fill the roles to be people “of faith”.

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